Transition Plan

This plan is to be completed once a child and family are matched, and outlines all of the tasks that need to be done before the child moves into the home.

Role Clarification – Transition planning

1. ______Agency/worker responsible for ensuring this document is complete and that county, family, child specific recruiter and family’s home study worker all have current copies. This person will contact others to ensure that all tasks listed below are being completed as required in order for transition to keep on track. This is typically the family’s worker.

2. Explain to the family PPAI/adoption contract structure and which workers do which activities- clarify and confirm these roles using this document
notes
3. Lifebook: what has been done? What is left to be done? Who is responsible for finishing it/sharing with youth and family?
notes
4. County worker responsible for ensuring that family has all documents for full disclosure. Do they have all documents? If not, when will they have it all? What private agency worker/s are helping get documents to family? What more can they do if there is a current delay? The match is not complete until full disclosure has been accomplished. Youth will not be told about family until full disclosure is completed. All team members are in agreement, correct? Potential barriers/time delays…and strategies
notes
5. Agency/worker responsible for ensuring all collaterals are complete
notes
6. County worker who is responsible for ensuring medical, school, therapy records are transferred soon enough to enable services to be set up prior to youth moving home. What of these transfers MUST be completed before youth is permitted to have overnight visits? What MUST be done prior to move-in?
notes
7. County worker responsible for ensuring that the family and/or youth have the following documents in hand prior to move-in day
Youth’s social security card Youth’s medical card Youth’s ID, if applicable Youth’s certified birth certificate
notes
8. County worker will provide family a memo on county letterhead authorizing the parent to enroll in school, coordinate medical appointments, request record transfers, etc…by when?
notes
9. Agency/worker who will be family’s primary contact for questions about the process and ensuring transition is occuring as planned
notes
10. Agency/worker who will be family’s contact for urgent or after hours concerns related to the youth (typically the family’s worker). What is the process for contacting this worker?
notes
11. Remove youth from State Adoption Exchange, Ampersand website, etc….
notes

Introducing youth/parent, visitation schedule and engaging current foster home/care provider

12. ______Agency/Worker responsible for the items in this section

13. ______is responsible for providing necessary support to current foster parent/care provider. List any potential concerns that exist regarding their support for transition. What might they need help with in order to fully support this adoption plan?

14. Informing the youth about this specific family

When is the youth to hear that a family has been identified?

Who will tell the youth?

What concerns does the team have about someone else sharing before the timing is right?

What will be done, by whom, to make clear to all players how information is to be shared?

What happens if someone shares before team is ready?

15. Parent introduction materials will be given to (worker)______by (date)______and shared with youth by (worker)______on (date)______

16. First visit is expected to be on ______. What will be our plan if the youth requests a different time/method for first meeting?

17. ______will coordinate the logistics for the first visit. Plan must include place, date, time, transportation, support person/s for youth and support person/s for family

18. ______is responsible for developing the written Transition Calendar.

Calendar should include plan for regular contact between youth and family between in-person visits, a date for visiting/touring the new school and equitable distribution of transportation responsibilities for each visit (one way/both ways)

19. ______is responsible for discussing the transition calendar with the current care provider/staff to ensure that youth has access to phone/email or whatever communication method is the plan and that contacts are not to be treated as a privilege that can be taken as a consequence for behavior in the home/residential.

20. Plan for current care provider and pre-adopt family to get to know each other and to interact together in front of the youth- emerging issues and who is responsible for addressing them?

21. Plan for adoptive family’s worker to begin building a relationship with the youth

22. Will there be a Transition CSSA? If so, explain why and what will be done during that time to shift responsibility to the family’s worker

Pre-Adopt Parent Preparation Activities

23. Find 1-2 respite providers or Buddy Family

What is the county’s expectation for respite providers if they are friends/kin of adoptive family- will they need a background study and/or foster care license? Get these things in place before youth moves in.

24. Locate and register for activities to keep youth engaged in productive activity, particularly if moving in the summer and if parent is not home after school

Community education (through school district) programs offer numerous opportunities. Check local YMCA/YWCA for activities and teen centers. Also local libraries have “teen” activities/events. Family should have a solid plan for youth activities prior to move-in. List options below:

25. Security and parent monitoring software on computer, TV and youth cell phone

Family should have these things in place prior to visits. Good resources to learn about and for deciding what security to use include:

Review the “Sanchez Doctrine” (handout)

Sample family electronics agreement (handout)

Teen use & safety with networked electronics (handout)

Explore the features and set up on Snapchat, What’s App, twitter, instagram

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/family-safety-faq - free Microsoft program.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ - a large portion of this website is youth internet and safety.

http://www.wiredsafety.com/

http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents

26. Talk with your neighbors and let them know that a new person will be living in your home- make a plan for how youth will meet neighbors (eg…will family host a party, meet informally as they cross paths, etc?

27. Meet neighborhood police officers

Never know when you may need to contact for incidents. Helps for them to know your situation (adoptive teen). Make sure you keep a “police” folder with birth certificate, social services agreement, letter of authorization from county social worker and information about diagnoses/medication/therapist.

Preparation for Move-In Day

28. ______is responsible for creating the Safety Plan and Contact List with youth and family.

These items must be complete before an overnight visit may happen.

The family, youth and all workers must have a copy of the completed plan (and updates as the plan is revised)

29. ______will provide luggage/duffel bags to move youth’s belongings if youth does not have them. Youth may NOT move with garbage bags.

30. Family will ensure that there are at least a couple photos of the youth already on display in the home prior to move in

31. ______will coordinate to ensure that there a few people send a letter/card to the youth, via U.S. mail, to arrive during first week in the new home

32. ______is the worker who will be present on move-in day and/or check in the next day. Does the family need help transporting the youth’s belongings? If so, ______is the person who will help.

Ensuring continuity of services

33. ______is the worker responsible for completing this section- it must be completed prior to move in

Current Doctor Name / New Doctor Name
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Next Scheduled appointment / First Appointment Date
Records transfer requested on ______/ Records received confirmed ______
Pre-adopt parent/s have county letter giving permission to coordinate services? Yes No
Emergent or current concerns / Notes:
Current Therapist Name / New Therapist Name
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Next Scheduled appointment / First Appointment Date
Records transfer requested on ______/ Records received confirmed ______
Pre-adopt parent/s have county letter giving permission to coordinate services? Yes No
Plan for transition conversation between old and new therapists
Emergent or current concerns / Notes:
Current Psychiatrist Name / New Psychiatrist Name
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Next Scheduled appointment / First Appointment Date
Records transfer requested on ______/ Records received confirmed ______
Pre-adopt parent/s have county letter giving permission to coordinate services? Yes No
Plan for transition conversation between old and new psychiatrist
Ensure continuity of prescriptions- 3 months supply/written prescriptions in hand?
Emergent or current concerns / Notes:
Current School Name / New School Name
Contact Person / Contact Person
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Pre-adopt parent/s have county letter giving permission to coordinate services? Yes No
Will there be some sort of transition meeting? If so, when? / First meeting/visit/IEP meeting Date
Records transfer requested on ______/ Records received confirmed ______
Plan for transition conversation between old and new school/special education staff
Contact for records transfer/IEP/Annual Assessment/Immunization Records
Emergent or current concerns / Notes:
Current PCA Agency / New PCA Agency
Contact Person / Contact Person
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Pre-adopt parent/s have county letter giving permission to coordinate services? Yes No
Will there be some sort of transition meeting? If so, when?
Records transfer requested on ______/ Records received confirmed ______
Plan for transition conversation between old and new PCA?
Contact county Public Health Department for PCA Assessment- Info:______Who?
Emergent or current concerns / Notes:

GENERAL CONTACT LIST

Name / Name
Role: / Role:
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Email / Email
Notes: / Notes:
Name / Name
Role: / Role:
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Email / Email
Notes: / Notes:
Name / Name
Role: / Role:
Address / Address
Phone/Fax / Phone/Fax
Email / Email
Notes: / Notes:

Family Name______Youth Name______Ampersand Families 9_20_2016 Page 7 of 7